LIVE: Maple Leafs vs. Wild

Follow along with Kevin McGran as the Leafs take on the Wild at the Air Canada Centre.

Wild vs. Maple LeafsAll-Time Record: (3-7-0 overall, 1-5-0 in Toronto)2012-13: Did not play. 2011-12: The Leafs topped the Wild 4-1 at Air Canada Centre in their last meeting (1/19/12)...LW Joffrey Lupul registered three assists for Toronto... RW Joey Crabb, C Mikhail Grabovski, C Nazem Kadri and RW Phil Kessel scored and G Jonas Gustavsson stopped 20 shots...RW Nick Johnson scored for Minnesota and G Niklas Backstrom made 29 saves.WILD LEADERS: LW Dany Heatley has 51 points (27-24=51) in 40 games against the Maple Leafs, tied for his most points vs. any team...RW Jason Pominville had four points (3-1=4) in four games against the Maple Leafs last season and owns 48 points (18-30=48) in 50 contests, his highest total against any team...LW Zach Parise has 17 points (10-7=17) in 24 contests.WILD GOALIES: Backstrom is 2-2-0 with a 2.50 GAA and a .915 SV% in four starts vs. Toronto...G Josh Harding and G Darcy Kuemper have not faced the Maple Leafs.MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS: D Dion Phaneuf has 16 points (7-9=16) in 33 games against the Wild...D Jean-Michael Liles owns 16 points (6-10=16), in 46 contests...C Dave Bolland has 10 points (5-5=10) in 16 games.MAPLE LEAFS GOALIES: G Jonathan Bernier was 1-1-0 with a 1.01 GAA, a .958 SV% and one shutout in two starts against Minnesota last season and is 3-1-2 with a 1.14 GAA, a .953 SV% and three shutouts in six career starts...G James Reimer stopped all 29 shots faced in his only start against the Wild (3/22/11).CONNECTIONS: Darby Hendrickson was selected by Toronto in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft and skated in 233 games with the Maple Leafs (1994-99)...Kessel played one season for the University of Minnesota (2005-06)...D Jake Gardiner is from Minnetonka.FAST FACT: The Wild has scored less than two goals in six of its seven all-time losses to the Maple Leafs...In its three wins, Minnesota has outscored Toronto 16-6...Three of Bernier’s seven career shutouts have come against the Wild.

15 Things to Know:

1. Minnesota has collected points in five of its six games this season (3-1-2). The Wild has scored first in five of the contests and ranks T-1st in the NHL with eight first-period goals. Minnesota has also scored a power-play goal in five games, ranking fifth in the NHL in power-play percentage (30.8%).

2. Minnesota was outshot by Buffalo, 23-20, Monday – the first time it has been outshot in a game this season. The Wild holds a 73-37 shot advantage against its opponents in the second period. Minnesota leads the NHL in fewest shots against/game (21.7) and ranks 17th in shots/game (30.3). From 2011-12 to 2012-13, Minnesota improved its per-game shot differential by 6.6 shots; the largest single-season increase by any NHL team in the last five seasons. Since 2008-09, only four other teams have improved their shot differential by more than 5.0 shots per game.

3. Matt Cooke has five points (2-3=5) and two GWG in his last three games. He leads Minnesota in points (3-3=6), multi-point games (2), plus/minus rating (+5) and has yet to take a penalty.

4. Josh Harding has earned victories in three straight starts, one game shy of his career-best four consecutive regulation wins (last, 10/25-11/5/11). He ranks third amongst NHL goalies with a 1.07 GAA and T-7th with a .948 SV%. If Harding starts Tuesday, it will be the fifth time he’s started on back-to-back nights in his career, the first since 3/19/10; he will be looking for victories on back-to-back nights for the third time in his career, the first since 1/28/10.

5. Minnesota is T-4th in the NHL with 14 points (4-10=14) from its defensemen. Jonas Brodin is in the midst of a career-best, three-game point streak (1-2=3) and has a point in five of the six games this season – leading Wild defensemen and ranking T-6th amongst NHL blueliners with 5 points (2-3=5). The 20-year-old also ranks 10th amongst all NHL players in TOI/game (25:11). As the youngest defenseman in NHL last year, he led rookies in TOI/game (23:12), 1:38 more than any other rookie; his TOI/game total ranked 37th amongst all NHL players. The Karlstad, Sweden native was named to the 2012-13 NHL All-Rookie Team and finished fourth in Calder Memorial Trophy voting.

6. Minnesota plays the second contest on its four-game road trip, tied for its longest of the season. After winning in Buffalo Monday, the Wild also finishes its first of 13 back-to-back contests this season. The Wild went 12-11-1 on the road last season, including a five-game road win streak (3/9-3/25) that was the second-longest in team history. The streak set a franchise record with four straight road victories by more than one goal and matched a franchise record with four straight road regulation victories.

7. Minnesota is tied with Pittsburgh for best faceoff win percentage in the NHL (57.9%). Minnesota set a franchise record by winning 45-of-61 faceoffs Thursday vs. Winnipeg (73.8%). Zenon Konopka has won 36-of-50 draws this season (72.0%), while Kyle Brodziak has won 57-of-95 (60.0%), and Mikko Koivu 72-of-121 (59.5%). Koivu also ranks T-5th in the NHL in faceoffs won and T-8th in faceoffs taken. Konopka ranks first amongst all NHL players with a 59.2% career faceoff win percentage.

8. Ryan Suter leads the NHL in TOI/game 28:39, having led all skaters (Wild and opponent) in ice time during every game this season. He’s topped 30 minutes TOI in three games this year, while adding three assists. Last season, the alternate captain led the NHL in TOI/game at 27:16 (franchise record) and skated more than 30 minutes in 10 regular season games. He also led the NHL in TOI/game during the playoffs at 31:37, skating 41:08 in Game 1 at CHI (4/30). Suter ranked second in assists and third in scoring amongst defensemen last season and was named to the 2012-13 NHL First All-Star Team and a finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy for first time in his career (finished second in voting).

9. Jason Pominville returned to Buffalo Monday after being acquired by the Wild April 3 and signing a five-year extension on the first day of the season, Oct. 3. The former Sabres captain tallied the game-winning goal, and he has now scored against all 30 NHL franchises. Since the start of the 2007-08 season, he ranks 20th for most assists and 26th in scoring amongst all NHL players. He also ranks T-9th in the NHL with 534 games played since the start of 2006-07, not missing a game in five of the last seven seasons.

10. Zach Parise has four goals in his last five games, leading the Wild. His three PPG are T-1st amongst NHL players and his 35 shots are second only to Ovechkin’s 42. Last season, the alternate captain led the Wild in goals (18), points (38), power-play goals (7), game-winning goals (4), shots (182), three-point games (3) and ranked T-2nd in multi-point games (7) during his first season with Minnesota. He scored his 200th career NHL goal at PHX (2/4), becoming the 36th American-born and eighth Minnesota-born player to reach the milestone, and joining his dad, J.P. (238), to become just the second father-son duo to each score at least 200 NHL goals [Bobby (610) and Brett (741) Hull]. Parise also ranked third in the NHL in shots and 14th in TOI/game (20:40) amongst forwards.

11. Per Elias Sports Bureau, Justin Fontaine and Mathew Dumba became the fourth Wild duo to score their first career NHL goals in the same game Saturday. Fontaine not only set a franchise record for fastest Wild goal to start a game (:12), he also matched the NHL’s record for fastest first career goal (Rick Boh, North Stars,1988). Fontaine became the 50th former University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldog to make his NHL debut Oct. 3 and Dumba became the second-youngest defenseman to make his NHL debut with the Wild Oct. 5.

12. Nino Niederreiter scored his first goal with Minnesota Sunday and now has three points (1-2=3) in six games, equaling his previous NHL totals (2-1=3) in 64 games over parts of two seasons with the New York Islanders (2010-12).

13. Mikko Koivu leads Minnesota with four assists this season, including a power-play assist last Tuesday to notch his 400th career NHL point (119-281-400). He also became the Wild’s all-time leader in power-play points Oct. 5. He needs 36 points to become Minnesota’s all-time leading scorer (Gaborik, 219-218=437). His 119 career goals are tied with Andrew Brunette for second on the Wild’s all-time list (Gaborik, 219).

15. Seven Wild players were named to pre-Olympic rosters for their native countries: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter (USA), Niklas Backstrom, Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu (Finland), Jonas Brodin (Sweden) and Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland). The 2014 Winter Olympics are set to take place in Sochi, Russia, with an NHL Olympic break from Feb. 9-25.

TORONTO VERSUS MINNESOTA: NOTABLES - Dion Phaneuf leads all Toronto players in career games played (33), goals (7), assists (9), points (16) and penalty minutes (38) against Minnesota. - Jonathan Bernier has posted a 3-1-2 record with three shutouts and a 1.14 goals against average in six career games against Minnesota. - Minnesota General Manager Chuck Fletcher is the son of Maple Leafs' Senior Advisor Cliff Fletcher.

by Kevin McGran10/15/2013 10:28:42 PM

TREVOR SMITH BECOMES 900th PLAYER IN FRANCHISE HISTORY Trevor Smith made his Maple Leafs debut on October 8 vs. Colorado and became the 900th player to play at least one game in Toronto franchise history. To date, 902 players (813 skaters, 89 goaltenders) have played at least one game for the Maple Leafs-St. Pats- Arenas. These totals include four players that only appeared in the playoffs: Eddie Gerard (1922), Gary Collins (1959), Aut Erickson (1967) and Milan Marcetta (1967). This season, forwards *Spencer Abbout, Troy Bodie, Dave Bolland, *David Broll, *Jamie Devane, *Josh Leivo, Mason Raymond and Trevor Smith, defencemen Paul Ranger and *Morgan Rielly, and goaltender Jonathan Bernier have all made their Maple Leafs debut. (* NHL Debut) Forward David Clarkson (currently serving a 10-game suspension) is the only player on Toronto's current roster yet to make his debut in the Blue and White.

Save of the game in that Oilers game had to Bernier diving across the crease,

by Steve Russell edited by Wanda Goodwin10/15/2013 10:47:33 PM

It was this close to being a goal and the Leafs being down 6-4

by Steve Russell10/15/2013 10:48:53 PM

LAST THREE MAPLE LEAFS GAMES: OCTOBER 12 - TORONTO 6 vs. EDMONTON 5 (OT) - James van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul each had two goals, and Dave Bolland scored in overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Air Canada Centre. Nazem Kadri also scored, Dion Phaneuf, Cody Franson and Mason Raymond each collected two assists, and Jonathan Bernier made 26 saves in the win. Ryan Smyth tallied twice for the Oilers while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Boyd Gordon and Jordan Eberle each added a goal. Devan Dubnyk surrendered six goals on 26 shots in the loss for Edmonton. TOR PP: 1-3 / EDM PP: 1-4 / Shots: 26-31 OCTOBER 10 - TORONTO 4 at NASHVILLE 0 - Jonathan Bernier posted a 36-save shutout, his first as a Maple Leaf, and Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists to lead Toronto to a 4-0 win over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist while Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul also scored for the Maple Leafs in the win. Pekka Rinne allowed four goals on 26 shots for the Predators in the loss. TOR PP: 2-4 / NSH PP: 0-3 / Shots: 26-36 OCTOBER 8 - TORONTO 1 vs. COLORADO 2 - Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves on 28 shots to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. Cory Sarich and PA Parenteau each scored for Colorado in the win. Joffrey Lupul had the lone goal for Toronto, while Jonathan Bernier stopped 31-of-33 shots in a losing effort. TOR PP: 0-2 / COL PP: 0-3 / Shots: 28-33

The Leafs will be gunning for their sixth win in their first seven games, but it looks like they'll have to do so without James van Riemsdyk. The forward did not participate in the pre-game warmup.Toronto recalled Marlies captain Trevor Smitha, who took van Riemsdyk's roster spot in the lineup.James Reimer is expected to be the starting goalie.